"Smack!"

A crisp sound.

A fine teacup, carved from a single piece of Lantian jade, was smashed to the ground and shattered into pieces.

Inside the "Cheng'en Hall" where Qian Xiaoxiao lived, all the palace maids knelt on the ground trembling with fear, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Qian Xiaoxiao's chest heaved violently, and her once beautiful face was now distorted by jealousy and anger.

"Queen... what a blessed queen!" she hissed through gritted teeth. "Su Wanqing, you only joined him a few days earlier than me! Why! Why did this incredible luck fall on your head!"

She was unwilling to accept it.

In terms of looks, she is no less beautiful than Su Wanqing.

In terms of intelligence, she even considered herself superior to everyone else.

To win Lin Feng's favor, she went to great lengths. She studied his preferences, learned various techniques to please him, and even lowered herself to do things that even palace maids would find shameful.

She succeeded. She became one of the most favored concubines in the harem. She thought she was getting closer and closer to her ultimate goal.

But Su Wanqing's pregnancy was like a bucket of ice water, shattering all her fantasies.

A mother's status rises with her son's. This has been an irrefutable truth in the imperial harem since ancient times.

Once Su Wanqing gives birth to a prince, her position will be as secure as a mountain. As for herself, no matter how much favor she receives, she will forever remain just a concubine, a plaything.

"No... I can't just give up like this!" A fierce glint flashed in Qian Xiaoxiao's eyes.

She suddenly stood up and paced back and forth in the hall.

"His Majesty is in his prime, full of energy. Su Wanqing is pregnant and will be unable to serve him for at least ten months. This...this is my chance!"

Her brain was working at lightning speed.

"I must, I must, conceive His Majesty's child as soon as possible! And it must be a boy!"

She made up her mind immediately.

"Guards!" she shouted sternly.

"This servant is here." A rather clever-looking personal maidservant quickly stepped forward.

"Go to the Imperial Pharmacy immediately and tell them that I've been feeling weak and have insufficient qi and blood lately. Have them find me every prescription that can nourish the body and help with fertility! Use them no matter how expensive the herbs are!"

"Also, investigate! Investigate thoroughly! Find out His Majesty's recent daily routines, what time he likes to be and where he likes to go. I need to know everything about him!"

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up!" Qian Xiaoxiao urged impatiently.

"Yes...yes! This servant obeys!" The palace maid dared not disobey and quickly retreated.

Watching the palace maid's departing figure, Qian Xiaoxiao's eyes rekindled with the flame of ambition.

"Su Wanqing, you just wait. This game has only just begun. Who will have the last laugh is still uncertain!"

...

On the other side, Qin Lan's "Zhenjun Palace" was completely silent.

Qin Lan stood alone on the training ground. She wasn't wearing the general's uniform that symbolized glory, but instead a tight-fitting black training suit that perfectly accentuated her powerful and athletic physique.

In her hand, she held a heavy, specially made long spear crafted from alloy.

"drink!"

She let out a delicate shout, flicked her wrist, and the spear shot out like a dragon.

A series of sharp spear shadows streaked through the air, creating whistling sounds. Beside the training ground, deep dents were etched into the alloy targets used for testing strength.

She was venting.

He poured all his resentment, jealousy, and frustration into the tip of his spear.

Sweat streamed down her smooth forehead, soaking her clothes, but she seemed tireless.

Only when she had exhausted her last bit of strength did she lean on her spear, panting heavily, and kneel down on the ground.

She raised her head and looked in the direction of the "Nine Heavens Embracing the Moon Palace," her eyes filled with complex emotions.

She and Su Wanqing were friends, comrades-in-arms, and... rivals.

The two women, one skilled in literature and the other in martial arts, assisted Lin Feng in conquering this land. Their relationship, however, remained quite complex.

She admired Su Wanqing's wisdom and skill, but deep down, she also harbored a competitive spirit.

She thought that she and Su Wanqing would always be like this, standing side by side as Lin Feng's right-hand men.

But Su Wanqing's pregnancy disrupted this balance.

Su Wanqing had taken the lead. And it was a crucial one.

Qin Lan is not Qian Xiaoxiao; she disdains using such underhanded methods to win favor. She has her own pride.

But pride doesn't mean she'll admit defeat.

"I, too, want to bear a child for His Majesty," she murmured, her voice filled with an unwavering determination.

In her view, this was not just about vying for favor, but also about the future of the empire.

Su Wanqing's child will inevitably become a symbol of civil administration in the future. Qin Lan's child, on the other hand, should inherit her mantle, become the empire's strongest military general, wield military power, and expand the empire's territory.

A balance of civil and military power, with mutual checks and balances and support, constitutes the most stable structure for imperial succession.

She believed that His Majesty must think the same way.

Having figured this out, Qin Lan's heart calmed down.

She stood up and wiped the sweat from her face.

She decided that she would go to see His Majesty tonight.

She will fight for the glory that belongs to her in her own way.

...

Unlike the hysteria in the "Cheng'en Hall" and the fighting spirit in the "Zhenjun Palace".

Meng Yao's "Jingxinzhai" is a place of tranquility yet melancholy.

Meng Yao sat alone in her studio, in front of a huge, pristine white canvas.

But the photon paintbrush in her hand hesitated to fall.

Her mind was in complete chaos.

Lin Feng's gentle gaze as he held Su Wanqing.

Qian Xiaoxiao's face was filled with naked jealousy.

In Qin Lan's eyes, there was an unwilling fighting spirit.

All of this felt like thorns piercing her heart.

She is different from others.

She lacked Su Wanqing's wisdom, Qin Lan's achievements, and Qian Xiaoxiao's shrewdness.

All she possessed was a small, perhaps insignificant, talent for painting in His Majesty's eyes, and a humble, unspoken love.

She was rescued from hell by that man and taken to heaven.

She felt nothing but endless gratitude and admiration for him. Her greatest wish was to be able to watch him from afar every day, to draw for him, and to massage his shoulders when he needed it—that would be enough for her.

She never dared to hope for more.

But today, when she learned that Su Wanqing was pregnant with that man's child, her heart still inevitably ached.

She wanted to too...

She also wanted to have a child for him.

A child who carries his blood and her blood.

Once this thought arises, it can never be stopped.

Like a seed, it quickly took root and sprouted in her heart.

But... what should she do?

Should we act like Qian Xiaoxiao, fighting for favor and vying for affection?

She couldn't do it. Her personality wouldn't allow her to.

Should I, like Qin Lan, directly make my request to His Majesty?

She dared not. In His Majesty's presence, she was always so self-conscious and timid.

What should she do?

Meng Yao stared blankly at the drawing board in front of her. Tears streamed down her face without her realizing it, dripping onto her white skirt and spreading out in a small patch.

Just then, her personal maid, Xiaoya, came in carrying a bowl of freshly stewed bird's nest with rock sugar.

"Your Majesty, you haven't eaten anything all day. Please have something to drink to soothe your throat," Xiaoya said with concern.

Seeing her master's distraught appearance, she felt saddened as well.

Meng Yao ignored her and just kept crying to herself.

Xiaoya sighed, placed the bird's nest on the table, thought for a moment, mustered her courage, and said softly:

"Your Majesty, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should."

"Speak," Meng Yao said, her voice slightly hoarse.

"This servant believes that you actually have a better chance than anyone else."

"Opportunity?" Meng Yao looked up vaguely.

“Yes.” Xiaoya nodded and analyzed seriously, “The Queen is now the mother of the nation, with a noble status, and she treats His Majesty with more respect. General Qin is too domineering, like a sword drawn from its sheath. His Majesty respects her, but he may not be close to her. Consort Qian is too opportunistic, and her thoughts are written all over her face. Although His Majesty dotes on her, he is mostly just teasing her.”

“Only you, Your Majesty.” Xiaoya’s eyes sparkled with wisdom: “In His Majesty’s presence, you are always so gentle, so pure, never vying for anything. Only with you can His Majesty find true and complete relaxation. Your feelings for His Majesty are not those of a subject towards a monarch, nor those of a concubine towards a husband, but rather… the purest, most unadulterated admiration and love.”

“No matter how powerful a man is, deep down he longs to be worshipped by a woman like this. Especially a man like Your Majesty, who stands at the pinnacle of the world.”

"So, Your Majesty, you don't need to fight or grab. Just be yourself, and that's enough."

"You only need to express your love for His Majesty through your painting. He will surely understand."

Xiaoya's words were like a wake-up call, instantly bringing Meng Yao to her senses.

yes.

Why should I compare myself to them?

I just need to be myself.

All I want is to draw all my love and show it to him.

That's enough.

A new light shone in Meng Yao's eyes. She wiped away her tears and picked up the photon paintbrush from the table.

This time, she didn't hesitate.

Her pen began to dance rapidly on the canvas.

She wants to paint a picture.

A painting that allows that man to see into her heart.

A painting that would make him understand how much she longed to bring a new life into his life.